Land Use Plan – 2002 - Stanly County, North Carolina

Planned Future Road Projects
STANLY COUNTY
Interviews were conducted with the Stanly County Planning staff as well as NCDOT in order to
determine future road projects for the county. The NCDOT Construction – Active Project List
and Future Project Letting List were used as well to help determine future dates and road
segments. All project dates are subject to change and should only be used as a guide.
Figure 4-2 illustrates programmed NCDOT projects in Stanly County. Each project identified on
Figure 4-2 is detailed below:
NC 24/27 is in the process of being widened to four lanes and in some locations within
Albemarle to five lanes. Currently on NC 24/27 from East of St. Martin Road to Bird Road in
Albemarle is being widened. In 2005 the last part west of Albemarle should be let
(construction started) for widening. This means that around 2007 NC 24/27 should be four
lanes all the way from Albemarle to Charlotte as well as to Interstate 485.
Interstate 485, the outer loop around the City of Charlotte, eastern section is scheduled to
be complete in 2003. The interstate will be about 13 miles from Stanly County’s border and
around 35 miles from Albemarle. Residential development has already started to increase in
the western census tract 9908 that includes Locust and Stanfield. This is predicted to
continue as the completion date gets closer and once the road is finished allowing easy
access to the City of Charlotte.
The eastern part of NC 24/27, east of Albemarle to the County line will also be widened to
four lanes with a schedule to be let in 2007 with completion date unsure, possibly in 2009.
Ridge Street will be extended to Airport Road in order to provide for greater access to the
Airport. The scheduled to start is 2006 and completion could possibly be two years later.
In 2004 the U.S. 52 Extension from the existing U.S. 52 to NC 24/27 will be let. And
widening of U.S. 52 from U.S. 74 in Wadesboro to U.S. 52 southeast of Albemarle to four
lanes is on the schedule to be let in 2007.
Widening of NC 49 to four lanes from east of SR 2444 to the Yadkin River is to be let in
2009.
U.S. 52 widening from Richfield to Salisbury is on the TIP. The first section within Stanly
County is tentatively planned to start in late 2010, but is currently not funded. As part of this
section a bypass around Pfeiffer University and Richfield is also planned.
In addition to these projects, Stanly County has requested that NC 73 should be widened to four
lanes west of Albermarle. This identified need—shown in Figure 4-2—has not been included as
yet in the NCDOT project list.
Access Management Plans
Access management is a tool by which transportation planners and designers protect
transportation safety and efficiency while at the same time providing necessary and appropriate
access to adjacent land. Access management is largely based on the function of a roadway.
As discussed in the Functional Classification System section of this report, the higher the road
classification, the more emphasis is placed on roadway mobility over roadway accessibility.
Presently Cabarrus and Lincoln Counties are completing access management plans for NC 73
from Concord to Lincolnton. The plans—as currently presented—require the minimum setback
of driveways from intersections and limit access. Stanly County needs to examine the use of
access management plans on the proposed Albemarle Northeast Connector, the NC 24/27
widening, and all other future four-lane widening projects in the future. Specific elements to be
Land Use Plan 4-5 6/02